18 Effect OF STRAIN PENETRATION ON RC beam-column joints subjected to seismic loading

Abstract

Beam-column joints in reinforced concrete structures under seismic loading are crucial elements and should be designed to avoid a brittle failure such as shear failure or bond failure in the joints. Although beam-column joints are designed to exhibit elastic behavior in most design codes, they may show inelastic behavior due to the strain penetration in the plastic hinge region of the beam adjacent to the joint. When the strain of beam penetrates into the joint panel, the deformation of the joint increases and the effective compressive strength of the concrete in the joint panel decreases. As a result, the beam-column joint can fail earlier than the designer expects due to the strength reduction of the joint. In this study, the structural behavior of five reinforced concrete joints under cyclic loading was evaluated. Test results showed that the slippage of the steel reinforcements, concrete strength deterioration, and strain penetration of beam-column assemblages affected the structural response of the RC joints subjected to seismic inelastic loading. © Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2019.